Ankin

Question 1

what are the 2 main ways in which we behave prosocially?

Answer 1

• donate time
• donate money

Question 2

what does behaving prosocially lead to?

Answer 2

subjective well being
–> greater positive affect
–> more life satisfaction

Question 3

what is one issue with research around prosocial behaviour?

Answer 3

substantial methodological limitations
–> correlation =/= causation
–> confounding variables
–> how do we measure complex constructs

Question 4

what type of studies should we be doing?

Answer 4

experimental
–> but they are costly, artificial
–> researchers may rely on smalle rsamples which isn’t great

Question 5

what is volunteering

Answer 5

helping another person with no expectation of monetary compensation

Question 6

what is volunteering associated with? any age differences?

Answer 6

emotional benefits to the giver
–> greater life satisfaction
–> most strongly for 40+ yr olds

Question 7

is volunteering good for u cross culturally?

Answer 7

yes
–> Even in poor and wealthy countries, pos relationship between volunteer participation and well being

Question 8

HOWEVER what is one thing that could explain the differences in well being?

Answer 8

demographic differences

Question 9

what are 2 main demographic differences to keep in mind?

Answer 9

• women are more likely than men to volunteer
• volunteers tend to be older, richer and socially connected

Question 10

do we have any definitive experimental evidence for the benefits of volunteering?

Answer 10

not really
–> Systematic review of 9 experiments found no evidence
And a study with Canadian students volunteering found no difference in pos/neg affect or self-esteem
Largest known experimental study also showed no causal impact of volunteering

Question 11

are there certain conditions that may predict who benefits the most from volunteering?

Answer 11

yes, sometimes

–> older people
–> depressed people
–> disagreeable people
– people who believe humans are fundamentally godo

Question 12

pro of prosocial spending

Answer 12

spending money in others is associated with higher levels of well being

Question 13

do charitable donations affect us?

Answer 13

yes, they appear to activate the reward centers in the human brain

Question 14

what are some IRL examples of the benefits of prosocial spending

Answer 14

• indvs who pay more on taxes report higher well being
• indvs who spend more on others report greater happiness
• financial generosity was one of the top 6 predictors in life satisfaction

Question 15

is there any causal support for the benefits of prosocial spending?

Answer 15

yes!! a bit
–> Individuals randomly assigned to spend money on others reported significantly higher levels of happiness

Question 16

is prosocial spending only good in certain parts of the world?

Answer 16

nope, seems pretty global
–> Participants in Canada, India and Uganda reported higher levels of happiness after reflecting on a time that they spent $ on others
–> emotional benefits are detectable in individuals from both right and poor nations

Question 17

are the benefits of prosocial spending detectable outside of the West? is there an example of this?

Answer 17

–> detectable even in places where people have little or no contact with Western culture
Traditional society in Vanatu
Villagers reported greater happiness after purchasing treats for others rather than themselves

Question 18

since when do we start seeing the benefits of prosocial spending?

Answer 18

since very early in life
–> even in toddlers
–> larger smiles when giving treats away

Question 19

who shows huge emotional rewards for prosocial spending>

Answer 19

recent criminal offenders
–> Ex-offenders reported greater happiness when purchasing for others than when purchasing for themselves

Question 20

what are other ways of providing assistance outside of $

Answer 20

small but meaningful forms of generous action
–> holding the door open, complimenting, comforting

Question 21

what can we say about random acts of kindness?

Answer 21

participants were happier when committing 5 random acts of kindness in a day

Question 22

can we see benefits of prosociality in the workplace?

Answer 22

yep!
–> Prosocial orientation are linked to emotional benefits for employees and overall job satisfaction

Question 23

what did the importance they reported placing on the opportunity to help others when selecting a job predict?

Answer 23

their wellbeing 30 yrs later

Question 24

what is one IRL corporate application of this info?

Answer 24

corporations should offer prosocial incentives instead of individiual ones, as those can foster unhealthy competition

Question 25

what are the 3 key ingredients to turn good deeds into good feelings?

Answer 25

1. They feel free to choose whether or how to help 2. They feel connected to the people they are helping 3. They can see how their help is making a difference

Question 26

Freedom of choice

Answer 26

when people feel forced to help, this often undercuts the pleasure of giving --> People are happier when they contribute to a good cause but only if they do so because they think it's important

Question 27

can we see freedom of choice physically?

Answer 27

yes, greater activation in brain areas related to reward when they made voluntary donations

Question 28

social connection

Answer 28

When engaging in generous behaviour provides opportunities for positive social interactions and relationships, helping is likely to be especially beneficial for the helper

Question 29

what does correlational research suggest about social connections

Answer 29

part of the reasons why people are happier after volunteering is simply because they attend more meetings and therefore have more opportunities for social integration

Question 30

what other aspect of social connection increases the benefit of giving $?

Answer 30

- delivering $ to people IN PERSON - knowing that the person they gave $ to was personally connected to the cause

Question 31

seeing how you made a difference

Answer 31

when people can see how their actions made a difference for others, they feel happier

Question 32

what is volunteering associated with in older adults? WHEN?

Answer 32

- lower mortality risk - when volunteering is motivated by other-oriented reasons

Question 33

how can we increase the long term positive feelings about engaging in acts of kindness?

Answer 33

--> helping people see how their actions made a difference -- UNESCO vs spread the net

Question 34

do we prefer concrete or abstract goals?

Answer 34

concrete --> makes them more satisfying

Question 35

can prosocial impact affect anything? (hint, job)

Answer 35

yes, improve work perfromace!

Question 36

what are some conclus

Answer 36

- research is limited - People seem most likely to derive happiness from giving experiences that provide a sense of free choice, opportunities for social connection, and a chance to see how our help has made a difference

Question 37

who do we need to focus on?

Answer 37

the recipient

Question 38

what do we know about social support?

Answer 38

- associated with greater psych and physical well being - but other forms of aid like financial may have detrimental conseqences - like social stigma or worsened self esteem

Question 39

what increases happiness in both helpers and recipients?

Answer 39

- helpers providing autonomous help - money was given directly

Question 40

3 factors that we can use to encourage prosociality

Answer 40

- individual - organizational - cultural

Question 41

individual

Answer 41

Helpers are more likely to provide assistance and be more generous when experiencing positive emotional states like awe --> so invest in green spaces

Question 42

organizational

Answer 42

Make sure that charitable foundations highlight how one’s assistance will help those in need

Question 43

culture

Answer 43

shape rates and forms of help

Question 44

what are some implications for this?

Answer 44

learning more about prosociality could increase the sucdess of policies and widen the application of the innovations being tested